Getting Work To Work

Have you ever had a project you wanted to bring to life but struggled to make it happen? Today's guest shares his struggles from taking a dream project and making it a reality. In this conversation, Kyle Shold unpacks how he overcame multiple barriers—hating the sound of his voice, showing up confident on camera, learning the tools and art of editing—to start his new Youtube channel, View Thunder. He produces curated movie reviews that celebrate the art, design, and cinematic storytelling present in movies he absolutely loves. He shares how burnout in his illustration work led him to find a new outlet for his creativity, working through mistakes and learning curves, and most importantly, knowing when it was time to publish.

A common question people ask me when they hear I've been podcasting for seven years and almost 700 episodes: "How do you still have anything to say?" That is an excellent question that I wrestled with early on in the show's life. And if I'm honest, one I've been wrestling with in the past few months. The reason is simple: I'm doing the reps but not putting in the steps. Much like our physical bodies, our creativity flourishes when we do simple things daily. But when you add light strength training as well? Creativity soars! Not only do we have something to say, but we have the power and skill to turn a whisper into a roar. Whether you are on day one of your creative life, in the middle of your career, or nearing retirement, how will you incorporate creative steps and reps into your daily life?

I have an important question: How are you making room for laughter in your creative process? Yes, work is serious, but it's also fun, silly, and straight-up goofy nonsense, at least according to today's guest. Sean Schumacher is an Assistant Professor of Design at Portland State University, a podcaster, and an all-around nice person who is building community and making design more accessible. In this conversation, we talk about their love for comedy, the journey from artist to designer to design educator, why we shouldn't fear mistakes, and how to know a project is done and ready to ship. On top of all that, we make room for deep thoughts and belly laughs. Whether you are a design student, creative professional, hardened cynic, or design communicator, Sean's approach to life and work will hopefully help you open up to delight and wonder.

Fresh from his game-changing journey of epic proportions as Mr Eligible searching for his soul mate, global sensation gough of BeernutsProductions.com is back on Getting Work To Work to talk all about his latest film, Mr Eligible. In this conversation, he naturally shares all the behind the scenes stories from the set, not to mention what made this film his most ambitious production yet. He shares about the challenges in casting a diverse group of women, what it takes to film a 41-minute film in one day, how many hours of reality TV he watched in preparation for this production, and of course, what makes Al Gibson special. Most importantly, he answers the most shocking question ever asked in the history of the world, "Who would lie on reality TV?" The answer will shock you.

What are the curiosities and interests you are hiding from the world? What would happen if you brought them to life in your work? For today's guest, his love for monsters, comic books, pop culture, and pro wrestling found its way into his work after a chance encounter with a Frankenstein Pop! Funko. Now, Boris is everywhere, and it's awesome. Kyle Van Cleave of Deadbolt Design is a designer and illustrator who brings an attitude of fun and uniqueness to everything he does. In this conversation, Kyle and I bond over Guillermo del Toro and monster movies. He also shares his thoughts on why the Frankenstein story is the perfect analogy for understanding the relationship to our creative work, his love for storytelling, the challenges of rebranding his studio, and what it's like running a business with his wife, Ashley. Most importantly, we talk about what it means to support your local monster makers.

I've learned a thing or two producing this show and others over the years. But one issue that trips us up at one point or another: the pressure to consistently make the best episode possible. Yes, it's a form of perfectionism, but it's also the fear that if an episode has flaws, people won't listen, and eventually, they'll leave. Some episodes flow freely from idea to finished product, while others are a struggle. There's a lot of advice on what to do in these moments: Amateurs wait for inspiration, professionals get to work. Thanks, Mr. Close. But I have a saying that I love to say when a client is struggling: "Not every episode needs to be a banger, sometimes you need a good ole fashioned ballad." That's some advice I needed to hear today because I felt the pressure of writing the perfect monologue.

Today's guest is curious about everything and often asks, "Why is that, that way?" Throughout his career as a scientist and chemist, Christopher Reddy has found a way to channel his curiosity into action as he studies marine pollution. In this conversation, Chris explains how science actually works over long stretches of time and the role uncertainty plays in the work. We talk about how Star Trek and Carl Sagan's work inspired his scientific career, effective tools for science communication, the importance of building local relationships, and the profound events that change our lives. Throughout the conversation, we discuss Chris's book, Science Communication in a Crisis: An Insider's Guide. Not only is it effective at explaining the why and how of science communication, I believe it is an excellent resource for any creative professional who wants to learn better ways to communicate what they do.

I love art and creativity. There's something magical about taking an idea buried deep in your mind and transforming it into a creative artifact—a movie, song, website, logo, or photo. You get the idea. On top of that, I love technology. Isn't it amazing how much access we have to mind-blowing tools that make our jobs easier? I'm far from an early adopter of new tech toys, but I love how I can broaden my creative vision a little further into the future every year. But I haven't always been this way. I used to be a creative gatekeeper. I wanted to define rules that allowed me to label what was and wasn't creative. More specifically, as a self-declared gatekeeper, I controlled who was and was not creative. While I have allowed my opinions to morph and evolve over the years, I'm seeing more and more people digging in their heels, declaring what is and is not creative: "This is art, but this is crap." I understand the sentiment, but could there be a better way to advance our creative vision without gatekeeping creativity?

Neal Morse is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and creative cross-pollinator who not only makes epic progressive rock concept albums about the lives of Martin Luther, the Apostle Paul, and Jesus but also brings his creativity to multiple projects including NMB, Transatlantic, Flying Colors, and D'Virgilio, Morse, and Jennings. In this conversation, Neal and I explore song lyrics he's written over the years centered around creativity, spirituality, business, and the future. He also shares how he creates with a focus on limitless possibilities and abundant creativity, the challenges of writing for different projects, how faith plays a crucial role in his creative process, and his approach to business over the years. Most importantly, we talk about the spiritual power of music and how it can connect with us at a soul level.

It's a big week here at Getting Work To Work. The 7th anniversary of the podcast is this Friday featuring an interview with one of my heroes. I'm releasing the second episode of the documentary series about a farmer. And, as always, I'm thinking about what's next. There's always something to plan, produce, schedule, and promote. Perhaps that's why I was lying awake last night, avoiding the next wave of production, by obsessing over things already finished. I was replaying moments from the interview earlier in the day. Hoping people will like the video. Wondering what this monologue will be about. My mind was racing. Sound familiar to you? I don't think I'm alone because a thought occurred to me this morning, echoing my conversation with Mike Brennan: Why am I not taking time to celebrate? Why is celebrating anything so hard, especially when you know that the clock never stops?